The Wilted Flower
by Zanza the warrior of shadows
Summary: They receive a call telling them there was another girl moving into the house with them. The task assigned to them was to cheer her up, or their rent would be increased times four. No pairings yet. I do not own Inuyasha or the Wallflower.
1. Sunako's Cousin

Chapter 1: Sunako's Cousin

They were sitting in the living room doing the same thing as any other day. Yes, Sunako was what Auntie would call a lady, but she wanted them to turn Sunako into even more of a lady. That was already just bout impossible. Sunako was Sunako and would always love creepy stuff. There was no changing it for the world.

The phone rang and again it was Ranmaru that went to answer it. "Hello, Auntie. What? You want us to… But Auntie, it's hard enough with just Sunako." They looked at him. He looked about ready to cry. "Fine. We'll do it." He hung up the phone.

"What was that about?" Kyohei asked. The other two nodded.

"It seems Auntie has another niece. She wants us to look after her. She hasn't really told me much, only that she's going through some things with her family."

"What's the catch this time?" Kyohei looked uninterested.

"Well, since we haven't really had much progress with Sunako, if we can cheer her other niece up then we won't have to pay rent," Ranmaru said.

"That should be simple enough," Takenaga said.

"But if she gets anymore withdrawn we'll have to pay four times the rent."

"WHAT!" Kyohei fainted.

"We should probably tell Sunako her cousin is coming to live with us," Ranmaru said.

"Cousin?" Sunako asked from the door way.

"Sunako." They looked at her. "I think your aunt said her name was…"

"Kagome," she finished. Kagome had always been so adorable. "Another bright creature," she murmured. "I'm going to go make dinner." She left the room think about her cousin. She hasn't seen her for a while now. Last she heard, Kagome was always ill.

..

She looked at the house and sighed, taking the few possessions she had and walking to the door. She rang the doorbell and looked down at her feet, waiting for someone to answer the door. She knew it was around dinner time so was expecting a delay. The door opened and she didn't dare look up.

"Can I help you?" A voice asked.

"I was told I was going to be living here," she whispered.

"You must be Kagome then. Come in." He moved aside and waited for her to enter. "You are just in time for dinner."

"I'm not really hungry. I just want to go to sleep."

"A room was prepared for you. "I can take you there." He looked at her. He had yet to see her face, just her black hair. She was in baggy clothes that seemed several sizes too big for her. "Come on." He led her up a set of stairs. "It isn't anything grand, but you can do whatever you want with it." He opened the door for her and watched her walk past him. "Are you sure you don't want anything?"

"Yes, just rest." She closed the door behind her.

"A bit anti-social," he murmured before heading down stairs. Sunako was cooking friend shrimp and if he wanted to eat any of it, he had to hurry or Kyohei was going to eat all of it. He entered to see Kyohei eyeing his friend shrimp. "Don't even think about it." He sat down and started to eat his food.

"Who was at the door, Ranmaru?" Yukinoji asked.

"Kagome. She wasn't hungry so I showed her to her room," he commented as he continued to eat. Sunako didn't seem to believe this. She had prepared oden because she knew it was Kagome's favorite food. She placed a lid on the bowl and placed it on the tray before heading up to the room she knew her cousin was going to be in. She knocked on the door.

"Kagome?" She called, seeing all the lights off and hearing some crying. She placed the tray on a table. "Kagome?" She sat on the bed. "I made you some oden." Sunako was unsure of how to go about finding out what was wrong with her radiant creature cousin.

"Oh, Sunako." She hugged her cousin around the waist and continued to cry into her cousin's lap.

"What's wrong?" She looked down at the raven set of hair.

"Everything I knew is gone," she mumbled.

"You still have your family," she reasoned.

"No I do not," Kagome cried, her sobs becoming louder. She hugged her cousin tighter. "You are all I have left," she admitted, her tears slowing and exhaustion taking over. She was asleep in moments.

"Poor, Kagome." She laid her cousin out straight and covered her with a blanket before picking up the tray with the oden. She left the room and closed the door quietly behind her. She wondered what had happened to her radiant creature cousin that had her in such tears.

...1.1.1

"That was good," Kyohei said, patting his full stomach. They all turned to see Sunako coming in with a tray with a bowl on it. She seemed a bit more depressed and creepy than usual.

"Is something wrong, Sunako?" Yukinoji asked.

"Please keep it down, Kagome is sleeping." She continued to the kitchen to do the dishes.

"That was creepier than usual," Yukinoji said in a whine. "She seemed really depressed."

"Her cousin must be affecting her somehow," Takenaga said.

"Whatever. I'm going to go take a bath," Kyohei said. He stood and left.

"Kyohei and his baths," Yukinoji grumbled.

"You know how he gets, Yuki," Takenaga said.

"But every time he takes a bath something happens," Yukinoji said. There were two screams after he said that.

...

Kyohei was relaxing in his bath when the bathroom door opened.

"I told you I was taking a bath," he said irritably. He looked to see a female, long black hair cover her face. She gave a scream because he had stood up. He screamed and covered himself as the female fainted. Moments later the others were in there, Sunako looking down at the figure.

"Is she alright?" Yukinoji asked, looking down at her.

"She better be or I'll kill you, Kyohei," Sunako said, the dark aura growing and going rampant around her.

"She's the one that walked in on me," he reasoned.

"You should have locked the door!" She glared at him.

"Ittai, my head," Kagome said. She looked around her to see her cousin and three males around her, and a forth still standing in the tub, nothing covering him. "Do you mind putting some clothes on, or covering yourself?" She looked away, her messy bangs covering most of her face. He blushed and quickly wrapped a towel around his waist. She sat up. "Cannot even go to the bathroom in peace," she mumbled. She shook her head. "Is there another bathroom I can use?"

"I'll take you," Sunako said. She glared at Kyohei. She left with Kagome.

"So did anyone happen to see her face?" Kyohei asked.

"Nope. Her bangs are worse than Sunako's was," Yukinoji said.

"Just great. At least we don't have to turn her into a lady," Kyohei said. "Can you guys leave? I'd like to finish my bath." They left, closing the bathroom door behind them.

...1.1

"Sorry about that," Sunako said. "It happened to me too when I first got here." She opened the door. "Here you go." She watched Kagome go in the bathroom and close the door. A few minutes later Kagome came back out.

"Is there still anything to eat?" She felt her stomach rumble.

"I'll go heat up the oden." She walked back to the kitchen with Kagome. She watched Kagome sit down at the kitchen table. She entered the kitchen and turned on the stove. When the oden was heated up she turned it off and placed some in a bowl before placing it in front of Kagome with chopsticks and a spoon.

Kagome looked at it and held back her tears as she ate. She missed her mother so much. She used to always make her oden when she was upset or sick, and now her mother was never going to make oden for her again. Tears started to trail down her cheeks but she continued to eat, not making a sound. It would take her a while to get over this. She had no one that knew what she had been through. Her family was the only ones that knew, and now she didn't have them to turn to. All she had left was Sunako.

"I'm going back to bed," she said as she stood and left. She closed her door behind her and climbed into bed before curling around a pillow and crying herself back to sleep.

...1.1

Sunako sighed and headed up to her room. She closed the door, the flickering of the television from each scene the only light. "Hiroshi, how am I supposed to cheer up my cousin? She seems so depressed and nothing like I used to remember. She used to be so cheerful and adorable, like those radiant creatures." She looked him in the eye. "She used to always cheer me up and I want to do the same for her." She sighed and climbed into bed.

"I have school in the morning, no matter how much I don't want to go." She turned off the television and fell asleep, thoughts of how to cheer up her cousin going through her head instead of the usual thoughts of Jason and other things people were afraid of.

...

They sighed. None of them had seen Sunako's cousin's face.

"I really wanted to see what she looked like," Yukinoji wined.

"I wanted to see if she was a cutie," Ranmaru said with a sigh. "We saw what Sunako could look like. She must be cute if she is related to auntie."

"Is that all you ever think about?" Takenaga asked.

"Who am I to deny a beautiful maiden?" Ranmaru asked.

"What about Tamao?" Takenaga asked.

"She really isn't my type," Ranmaru said.

"You should stop dragging her around. You know how she feels about you," Takenaga said.

"I wish to see no beautiful maiden upset." He sighed. He really did think he was kami's gift to women.

Author's Note: I watched the first twenty-six episodes of the Wallflower and came up with this. I wanted to get some feedback before I continued to write. And does anyone know if the series went beyond twenty-six episodes? But read, review and ENJOY!


	2. Hurt Feelings

Chapter 2: Hurt Feelings

They were walking to school, Kagome lagging behind. She seemed to be tired still. Of course Sunako was behind them. They were gleaming and the girls were squealing for them, excitement going through them. Ranmaru greeted them as usual as Noi approached from the back.

"Sunako, it's so good to see you again," she greeted, passing Kagome by, who had stopped some distance behind them.

"Hello, Noi," Sunako greeted.

"Takenaga!" She hugged him. "Sunako seems a bit more depressed than usual."

"She's been that way since her cousin arrived. She's staying with us." He hugged Noi.

"Cousin?" She looked around and spotted a girl whose face was completely covered by hair. "Oh. Hello. I didn't see you there."

"It wouldn't be the first time I was overlooked," she whispered as she walked past. "I'm not worth your time anyways." She continued walking until she disappeared into the building.

"Is she always like that?" Noi asked.

"I don't know," Takenaga asked honestly. "We only met her briefly last night. Sunako would know more about here."

"Sunako?" She looked at the creepy girl.

"Something happened in her family. I'm not really sure what, but as a child she was always so radiant. She was always so cheerful and carefree. But that was roughly ten years ago. When she turned fifteen she started to get sick a lot and missed a lot of school. I'm not really sure what she is really like," Sunako said. "I'm going to class." She walked inside the building.

"I wonder what happened?" Noi asked to no one in particular.

"Who cares?" Kyohei asked loudly.

"Kyohei, we have to find out what happened. How else are we supposed to find a way to cheer her up?" Yukinoji asked.

"Or have you forgotten what Auntie said," Takenaga added.

"Fine. We cheer her up." He shoved his hands inside his pockets and started to walk into the building. "We'll work on it later." He was gone.

...2

She sat in the farthest, darkest corner. It wasn't like anyone was going to notice her anyways. She walked down the halls, but no one ever looked her way, the secretary didn't even notice her until she actually said something, and even then she wasn't noticed. She was expecting that. She was expecting to go through this school unnoticed. It was happening so far. He was fine with that. Just meant less people to put her down. Her self-confidence was already shot from the past and she doubted there would be anyone that could cheer her up.

"Oh, I didn't know you were in this class," a voice said. She recognized him as one of the guys from the house. "I haven't properly introduced myself. I am Ranmaru. You must be Kagome, Sunako's cousins." He noticed the bob of her head. "Why do you hide your face?"

"Why does it matter?" She asked.

"I was just wondering. You must be a complete cutie underneath that hair." He moved closer. "Let me see, please?"

"No. I would greatly appreciate it if you just left me alone," she whispered.

"Oh come on. Just one little look." He continued to move towards her a hand stretched out.

"I said no." And the next thing he knew, he was face first in the floor, the arm he had stretched out twisted behind his back and her knee was digging into his lower back.

"Kuso. You move fast." He tried to get free.

"I can easily break your arm in three places," she whispered darkly. "Even more if you continue to move around like that." He instantly stilled. "I am not showing you or anyone else my face. You can tell them that. If you try again I will break your arm. Understood?"

"Yes." He felt his arm drop to the floor and the pressure on his back leave. "Damn, my arm hurts." He rubbed at it and looked back at her. She really could be scary when she wanted to be. "You're so mean," he mumbled.

"You made me," she whispered. "I just want to be left alone."

"What's wrong with you anyways? You live in a house with four beautiful boys."

"None of you are beautiful," she commented and he fell backwards.

"Not beautiful," he mumbled from the ground. "Something must really be wrong with you."

"Nothing is wrong with me," she snapped. He could faintly make out glowing blue eyes. And moved away quickly. He settled down when the rest of the class came in. Kagome's eyes had stopped glowing and she was back in her corner. She slumped down, but was glad that not even the teacher seemed to notice her.

...2

"She said we weren't beautiful," Ranmaru told the others. They seemed shocked. School was over for the day and they were at home. They hadn't seen Kagome at all in the house.

"You aren't beautiful," a voice said from behind them. They jumped whirled around, their hearts beating a mile a minute. "You don't know what true beauty is."

"An ugly girl like you doesn't know what true beauty is," Kyohei said.

"Ugly girl?" They others looked like they didn't know what to do. "I may not be pretty but I know what true beauty is," she whispered. "None of you are beautiful." She turned and walked away.

"You just made her more depressed," Yukinoji said as he watched her leave. "We're supposed to cheer her up, not make her feel worse. Auntie is going to raise our rent for sure." He seemed to be close to tears.

"Kyohei, you really need to pick your words wisely," Takenaga said.

"She's the one that said…"

"She didn't call us ugly, Kyohei," Ranmaru pointed out. "She just said we didn't know what true beauty was."

"Same thing," Kyohei scoffed.

"You know, if Sunako finds out what you said, she might not cook for us tonight," Takenaga said and Kyohei paled.

"But then we would starve." He looked horrified.

"It would be your fault," Yukinoji said. "You hurt Kagome's feelings."

"I'm going to go make sure she's okay," Ranmaru said as he stood. Kyohei could be really hurtful.

He knocked on the door before entering. He looked around. This was not something he was expecting. There were weapons upon stands along the walls with different types of swords, staffs and bows. They all looked like they were taken care of. The bed was made in silks and what looked to be furs. And in the center of the bed, face in a pillow was Kagome. She had changed from the school uniform and was instead in what looked to be a silk nightgown.

"Hey, you shouldn't worry about what Kyohei said. You aren't ugly." He sat on the edge of the bed and just about sunk in, the material forming around him.

"Why do you care?" She asked, face never leaving the pillow.

"I can never see a pretty girl be so upset." He smiled at her, but of course she never looked at him. "Come on, cheer up."

"You don't care. You just want to see my face." She turned away from him. "You're just wasting your time."

"I'm just trying to help you cheer up," he reasoned.

"If I show you my face, will you just go and leave me alone?"

"Why would you want to be left alone?" He didn't understand. He would have thought she was feeling lonely. But his thoughts stopped when he saw her face. She had brushed her hair out of her face and now he was looking at pale, flawless skin, big blue eyes that were glistening with tears, pouty pink lips and a heart shaped face. He flat out fainted.

"I knew I shouldn't have showed him my face." She allowed her hair to fall into her face. "I'm hungry." She stood from the bed and headed out the door, leaving Ranmaru face down on her bed. He'd wake up eventually.

...2

He woke up and looked around, noticing that he was still in Kagome's room. He sat up and started for the door. He was hungry and he had to go ask Sunako if she was going to cook dinner. If not, he hoped he could get Kagome to cook. She was bound to be good at it. He left her room only for a delightful scent to meet his nose. He turned and started to follow the smell only to come to the kitchen. There were dishes with food in them, all of which smelled amazing, but it wasn't Sunako that was cooking. His mouth was watering and he just wanted to dig in.

"Go wait in the dinning room with everyone else," she whispered as she continued to cook. "It'll be done soon." He nodded and made his way to the dinning room to see everyone sitting there, including Sunako. He took a seat to see the table set. He was really hungry.

"Where have you been for the past hour?" Takenaga asked.

"I was in Kagome's room." Sunako glared at him. "It wasn't like that. I went to see if she was alright and I ended up fainting."

"Fainting?" The other three said, confused.

"I saw her face," he said in a low voice. "She's absolutely gorgeous." He seemed to have stars in his eyes.

I'll believe you when I see it," Kyohei said, but everyone became silent when Kagome walked in with several plates, all balanced on her arms. She skillfully placed everything on the table before going back into the kitchen and returning shortly with a pot of tea and tea cups. She placed all of it down and then sat down. She signaled for everyone to eat before helping herself. She had poured the tea for everyone and started eating.

They noticed how she ate. She ate with such manners befitting a lady. Her chopsticks didn't clink together, she wasn't eating ravenously like they would, but she didn't eat like Sunako either. They even watched as she turned her tea cup before drinking and setting it down without a sound. They shook themselves from their shock and started to eat like they were deprived of food. She seemed to ignore them as she continued to eat, finishing everything she took. She stood gracefully and picked up the dishes she used before heading back to the kitchen.

"She has the manners of a lady," Takenaga said, amazed.

"And she moves so gracefully," Yukinoji said. He was absolutely amazed.

"Now we just need to see her face," Kyohei said.

"That won't happen," Ranmaru said. "She just wants to be left alone."

"But we have to cheer her up," Yukinoji said.

"Easier said than done," Ranmaru said. He picked up his dishes and placed them in the sink, the dinner dishes and Kagome's dishes already washed and put away. He sighed and turned to go to his room. She really was beautiful but it seemed her confidence was shot. He figured the first step to cheering her up was to increase her self-confidence. In order to do so he would have to make her appealing to the eye. When he did that then she was sure to get noticed and compliments, making her have some self worth, and feel better about herself. It might take him a while to convince her though.

...2

She sat in her room and pulled out a photo album. She flipped it open and looked at the photos inside. There were pictures of her family from this time and pictures of her friends from the past, even a few of the lord of the west. She wanted to remember everything about the past, so there were photos, several photos, and even some of Shippo and Rin's drawings. There was even one by Souten. She smiled, even with tears in her eyes. She missed them very much and often wished that she could find at least one of her demon friends from the past. Hell, even Sesshomaru would do.

"I miss you all very much," she whispered to the photo album. "I wish at least one of you were here, then I wouldn't feel so lonely or out of place." She rubbed at her tears. "What I would give to have a semblance of my old life," she mumbled. She flipped the page and almost cried out, not sure how this picture got here. It was a picture of Kikyo and Inuyasha kissing, Kikyo's soul stealers floating around them with their eerie light. It was a rude reminder that no matter what she did, Inuyasha was never going to be hers.

"Maybe I should just forget," she whispered, but the thought broke her heart. "No. I could never do that. They mean too much to me to be forgotten." She had a different idea. She pulled out a notebook and started to write. She wouldn't forget, but she would tell the story. It would be told from her point of view, but names would have to be changed. There was no way she was going to use her family names. People would think she were crazy. That was the last thing she needed.

Author's Note: Sesshomaru will enter in the future, I am just not sure when. Here is the finished product of this chapter. Please read and review. Don't forget to ENJOY!


	3. Blush

Chapter 3: Blush

Ranmaru lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling and thinking. Many would have thought he was thinking of beautiful women and what he could do to them. They would only be half right. He was thinking of a beautiful woman, but for once it wasn't about sex. He wanted to find a way to get her to feel better about herself. First he would have to convince her to actually show his face. She was gorgeous after all and the compliments would help boost herself confidence. He was also sure that the others in the house would be left speechless when they saw her.

He sighed and rolled onto his side, his head resting on his arm as he continued to think. He ignored his phone ringing and the others pounding on his door yelling out dinner, that is until his stomach growled. He sat up and walked down stairs to see food on the table and everyone sitting down. He took his seat and ate at a sedate pace, much like Kagome was. Everyone, minus Kagome, was looking at him weirdly. It wasn't his fault he was thinking so much. When he finished he placed his plate in the sink and went back up to is room to fall asleep thinking about how to go about getting her to show her face.

_THE_

They walked onto school grounds, but Ranmaru did not greet the females like he usually would, instead he was still thinking, so his silence was unusual.

"Something is wrong with Ranmaru," Yukinoji whispered to the others. "He is never this quiet and he usually always submerses himself in women." They nodded. "He's starting to creep me out." They nodded again.

"Ranmaru," the women called but he continued to ignore them for his thoughts.

"Good morning, Sunako, Takenaga, Yuki, Kyohei, and Ranmaru," Noi greeted.

"Of course I would be overlooked again," Kagome whispered as she walked past them.

"I knew I forgot something," Noi said to herself.

"Don't worry, I'm not worth your time anyways." She continued walking.

"I've got it," Ranmaru said before quickly following after Kagome. "Kagome-chan, wait up." He disappeared behind her.

"What does Ranmaru see in that ugly girl?" The females wailed, upset that he had ignored them in favor of chasing after the new girl.

"Do not call my cousin ugly," Sunako said, a dark aura surrounding her. They females gulped and scooted back. They didn't want to get in a fight with Sunako. She would kill them.

"Sunako is so scary," Yukinoji commented as everyone ran in the building to escape the dark aura of Sunako.

_WILTED_

"Kagome, please stop." He grabbed her wrist. She stopped but didn't turn to face him. "You need to stop saying you aren't worth anyone's time. Your gorgeous and I am sure you have a great personality."

"Stop lying to me," she whispered.

"I'm not lying." He spun her around and caressed her cheek, his hand keeping her hair from her face. "You're beautiful, one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen."

"You're only saying that. I'm not beautiful. I was never beautiful."

"Stop putting yourself down!" She flinched back. "You are beautiful. I don't know who told you otherwise, but they were wrong."

"What do you know?" She turned and entered the class room, slamming the door behind her.

"She's so damn stubborn." He entered the class room to see her sitting in her usual seat, her head down, hair further hiding her face from view. He still didn't know how he would get her to see that she was beautiful. She was worth people's time. He slammed his head against his desk. Why was her self confidence and self worth so low. The one who got her to think this must have been a real asshole.

_FLOWER_

He sighed as he sat with the others in the living room. School had been annoying. The females had been craving his attention but he was too busy trying to come up with ways to make Kagome see that she was beautiful and worth something. But his head was still hurting from when he slammed it against his desk in the morning. But nothing had seemed to work because no one noticed him. Even the guys he lived with had forgot about her and had started to walk home without her. He had waited for her with Sunako. And Sunako had glared at the others for forgetting about her dear sweet, radiant creature cousin. Because they forgot about Kagome, Sunako refused to cook and had convinced Kagome not to cook for the three ingrates.

He groaned but stopped when a tray of food was placed in front of him. He looked up to see Kagome with a tray of her own food and heading to the stairs. He took a bite before cheering up.

"Thanks, Kagome. This is great. You really are a good cook." He never noticed her falter in her steps, and no one noticed the blush on her cheeks. He just continued to eat.

_THE_

'He likes my cooking,' Kagome thought as she sat in her room eating. Sunako had cooked for herself, but she had cooked for Ranmaru and herself. She had cooked for Ranmaru because, one, he was trying to cheer her up and feel better about herself, two, he actually noticed her and waited for her. He may have yelled at her earlier, but he was trying to convince her she was beautiful. But she was still greatly depressed. Things she had not expected had happened and nothing at this moment could cheer her up about it.

_WALL_

"God, I'm so hungry," Kyohei complained while sitting on the couch, head back. "When is Sunako or Kagome going to cook dinner?"

"They aren't," Ranmaru said as he stood with the now empty tray and food dishes.

"What?" But we're going to starve," Yukinoji complained. He noticed the tray and empty dishes. "But they cooked for you."

"Kagome cooked for me," Ranmaru corrected. "Sunako convinced her not to cook for you three." He patted his satisfied stomach. "That really was some good food."

"But why did she cook for you?" Yukinoji complained.

"One, I didn't overlook her and walk home without her," Ranmaru said. Yukinoji placed his head down. He had forgotten all about Kagome. "And two, I have been trying to cheer her up while all you guys do is complain." He walked away.

"So hungry," Yukinoji slipped onto the floor.

"I guess we will have to fend for ourselves tonight," Takenaga said as he walked into the kitchen. He noticed all the dishes done. He rummaged through the fridge but all there was is yogurts and drinks, all of which was marked with "Sunako" or "Kagome". He knew both would get upset if they ate something that was theirs. He closed the door and pulled out his wallet but it was empty. His head fell. This really was depressing.

_FLOWER_

"Hey, Kagome," Ranmaru knocked on the door before opening it. "Thanks for dinner. It was great." He saw her look at him over her shoulder. Her hair was pulled up and away from her face and it seemed she was washing her face. But she hadn't left her room. "Are you washing your face?"

"Yes. I discovered that this bedroom has a bathroom attached to it," she whispered.

"You really are beautiful," he whispered as he approached her.

"You're such a pervert," she commented.

"But I haven't tried anything with you," he commented. "I just want others to see how beautiful you are." He wiped the water from her face and she seemed to blush. "How cute," he commented when he saw the blush. "Get some sleep." He stood and left, the door closing softly behind him. "You really are beautiful," he whispered, leaning against the door. He sighed before walking down the hall to his room. He closed the door and got ready for bed.

_KAGOME_

She blushed. He had seemed so sincere when he called her beautiful She almost believed him. But she was still wrapped up in the past. She was wrapped up in all the insults her first love had thrown at her. He never said anything nice to her, except on his first night of weakness. But when Kikyo was back, his comments had become far more hurting. Everything he did had hurt her. She could not love another man like him. She had been hurt by him too much. It was part of why she found Kyohei complete unattractive. She did not believe she was ready to love again, but her self esteem was boosted, even if it was a little.

She yawned and climbed into bed in a pair of shorts and a tank top. She curled around her pillow and slept with a light smile on her face for once. She was feeling a bit better after talking with Ranmaru. It helped that he liked her cooking, where as Inuyasha only wanted her to cook ramen. She sighed one last time and went to sleep.

_RANMARU_

Ranmaru woke, stretching before placing his feet on the floor. He got dressed in his uniform and walked down stairs, school bag in hand. He smelled something good so went to the kitchen to see Kagome standing in front of the stove. Her hair was tied towards the bottom and brushed out so that it looked silky.

"Your breakfast is on the counter, Ranmaru," she said, instead of whispering for once. She hadn't even looked back.

"Thank you." He picked up the plate and at his breakfast as he watched Kagome finish up cooking. She placed what she was cooking in three bento boxes before quickly washing the dishes and covering the bento boxes. She wrapped the three in a cloth, placing chop sticks in cases and tucked within the cloth.

"Here you go." She handed him the bento. "The other one if for Sunako-chan," she said as she pulled the apron off. Her bangs were tidy, but still in her face, still hiding it. She placed the apron on a chair and picked up the bento boxes. She walked out to the hall to see Sunako standing there with Kyohei, Takenaga and Yukinoji. Ranmaru followed her out.

"Here, Sunako. I made you lunch," she whispered. Sunako took it and noticed Kagome and Ranmaru had one.

"Where is ours?" Kyohei asked.

"I didn't make you any," Kagome commented as she slipped on her shoes and grabbed her bag.

"No fair. You made Ranmaru lunch," Yukinoji complained.

"And breakfast," Ranmaru whispered. He slipped on his shoes as they glared at him. "Shall we get going?" He opened the door and he walked out, the others following after him.

"Why did he get food?" Yukinoji whispered to Takenaga as Kagome and Ranmaru took the lead. Sunako was in the middle as the other three sulked behind them.

"Who knows," Kyohei said, upset. He was so hungry. He hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday.

"You have to admit though, her hair doesn't look so messy," Takenaga said. "Maybe Ranmaru said something to put her in a good mood."

"It isn't fair. I'm so hungry." Yukinoji's stomach rumbled it's displeasure.

"So am I," the other two complained. They came onto school ground but didn't have enough energy to deal with the females. Ranmaru was in a good mood and females were offering him their lunches.

"Sorry ladies, I already have my lunch today." He had a huge grin on his face and they seemed down trodden. "Kagome-chan made me lunch." He slung an arm over her shoulders. "You really are a great cook, Kagome-chan," he purred.

"You're such a pervert, Ranmaru," she whispered.

"But, Kagome-chan, I've never tried anything with you."

"Morning Sunako, Takenaga, Kyohei, Yuki, Ranmaru and Sunako's cousin," Noi greeted. "What's wrong with you three?" She looked at Takenaga, Yukinoji, and Kyohei.

"We're so hungry. We haven't eaten since lunch yesterday," Takenaga said.

"Oh." She looked sad for Takenaga. "I brought lunch for you, Takenaga." She held up the extra bento. "I also brought this." She held a small bag. "You can have a few pastries." She handed him the bag.

"You are the best, Noi." He hugged her. The others tried to grab the bag but he pulled it away. "These are mine. Get your own." And he ate it down, Kyohei and Yukinoji looking sad. They were so hungry.

"So why didn't you have dinner last night?"

"Sunako and Kagome refused to cook for us," Kyohei said.

"One, they decided to forget all about Kagome and two, Kyohei always insults her, and the other two don't even pay her any mind," Sunako said. "Besides, she would have cooked dinner for you three if I hadn't told her not to cook for you." Sunako was sniffing her lunch. It smelled so good. "They haven't even tried to cheer her up once."

"Why would she need to be cheered up?" Noi asked as she watched Ranmaru flirt with the girl whose face no one had seen.

"We don't have the details, but something happened in her family, so Auntie asked us to cheer her up," Takenaga said. "Admittedly, we haven't been doing too good of a job." He sighed. "Ranmaru seems to be making some progress though." They others nodded.

Author's Note: Here is the next chapter. Hopefully I can get my other stories worked on, but next chapter of this story, Sesshomaru should be making an appearance. Now read, review, and don't forget to ENJOY!


	4. Sesshomaru

Chapter 4: Sesshomaru

Ranmaru looked at her. It was lunch time and he had finished eating the bento she had packed for him. The food had been delicious and he had told her so, but she was still eating, taking her time eating. He knew Takenaga managed to get something to eat. Noi cared too much for Takenaga to let him starve. He wondered if the other two got anything to eat. Ah, but he had such good food. Kagome had made good food for him to eat.

"You really are beautiful, and you are a great cook, Kagome," he said as he smiled at her widely.

"I've had a lot of practice," she commented. "My okaasan taught me how to cook at a young age." She lowered her head to hide her tears. Oh how she missed her family so much.

"My okaasan isn't much of a cook," Ranmaru said. "She's never really had to cook."

"My okaasan taught me, that the most important ingredient when cooking is love," Kagome whispered. "I have always given cooking my all."

"You're good at it." He took his seat again. Lunch was close to over. He hadn't joined the others because one, he couldn't just ignore Kagome, and two, they were still mad at him. He didn't much care. They would get over it eventually.

-THE-

Her head shot up and looked around, surprising Ranmaru. It was the last period of the day, and it was almost over. He noticed that she kept looking around, as if searching for something. The moment the bell rang she shot up, things already away and ran for the door. He followed quickly after her as the others looked at them strangely. They followed none the less, including Sunako and Noi. They wondered what was wrong with Kagome, but they had to catch up in order to find out. They never realized that she was this fast.

-WILTED-

He knew he could sense her, and he had picked up her scent. It seemed all he had to do was wait. She would come to him soon enough, though there was six people following her. She would get here before the others did. He should start the count down. Five, four, three, two, one. And there she was.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" And she was before him, hair covering her face. He smirked as they stopped behind her.

"You really have let yourself go, Kagome." His hand moved forward and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I've missed you very much." She hugged him around the waist, her head resting on his chest. Tears started to fall.

"What has happened that has made you this sad?" He whispered, his arms wrapping around her. "Not even my idiot brother could make you this sad." Their voices were low enough that the others could not hear.

"It was so horrible. I came back and…" she sobbed loudly.

"Ssh. Calm down, Kagome," he whispered. He rubbed soothing circles into her back.

"They're dead, Sesshomaru. My family is dead." she cried more openly. "I'll never see them again. I'll never see their smiling faces anymore, or their voices. I'll never pick on my little brother, or listen to my wacky grandfather tell his stories, or be cheered up by my okaasan after a long day. I'll never hear my brother laugh, or see my grandfather try to ward off evil spirits, or feel the warmth of my okaasan's hug."

"They would not want you to be sad. They would want you to be happy, and live your life. Mourn now, but live for them," he whispered to her. "Live and be happy, for them." He pulled back and looked at her. "You are a beautiful, and kind woman, Kagome," he said so the others could hear. "Whatever happened to the strong woman I knew, that didn't let others insult her? I want that spit fire woman back."

"Sesshomaru." She rubbed at her eyes and looked up at him a smile on her face. "You really could be caring when you want to be."

"Do not mistake this for weakness," he scoffed.

"Of course not, Sesshomaru-sama. You are the strongest person I know." She grinned. She reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of scissors. "I was wondering when I should do this." She reached up and grabbed her over grown bangs before snipping straight across, hair falling to the ground. She placed the scissors back in her bag.

"This is a better look for you." He smirked. Yes, he could see those sapphire eyes of hers.

-FLOWER-

Ranmaru was trying not to feel jealous of this man that seemed so familiar to Kagome. He was tall and had such long, silver colored hair. Amber colored eyes looked down at her while a smirk was firmly in place. They seemed to have a whispered conversation before he pulled back and spoke more loudly, enough so that they could hear. Kagome's mood seemed to do a complete turn around. She seemed so much more happier after talking to this man she called Sesshomaru. He wanted to be upset, but couldn't. This man obviously knew more about Kagome than they did.

"Now I know why she said you four weren't beautiful," Sunako said. "In comparison to him, you aren't beautiful." Sunako didn't have to look away. "He isn't a radiant creature either."

"Sunako," Yukinoji whined. "You don't mean that."

"I don't blame her for saying such a thing," Noi said. "He is attractive."

"Noi," Takenaga complained. The four males seemed down trodden. How could they compete with that man? He was attractive and was wearing a suit. But why was he wearing a suit? He looked to be in his early twenties.

-THE-

"You're looking sharp, Sesshomaru. Any reason why?" She looked him up and down.

"I just came from work," he said. "I figured I would find you and see how you were doing. It is a good thing I did so. You had let yourself go." He smirked while she blushed. "Come, I'll walk you home." He looked at them and noticed the other female. "Who are they?"

"Ano, the female with the black hair is my cousin Sunako, the other female, well, I'm not sure what her name is. The head red is Ranmaru, the dark haired male is Takenaga, and the other two are Kyohei and Yukinoji." He nodded.

"Come, we need to catch up, and maybe have a quick spar."

"Oh!" Her eyes got wide with excitement and started to pull on his arm. "Hurry Sesshomaru-sama." She continued to pull on him in the direction of the house, the others following behind. "It's been a while since I had a good spar." She kept tugging, stopping only when the crosswalk said don't walk. "And after our spar I will cook dinner."

"It is good to see you happier." He looked back over his shoulder. The red head was glaring at him. He smirked. There was a way to further piss the red head off. It would be far too easy. He turned back around and caught up with Kagome before throwing his arm around her shoulders and bringing her closer to him. They were walking through the market and she was picking up things as they went for dinner. She seemed oblivious to the feelings of the red head and he was having way too much fun ticking him off.

"Dinner is going to be great, Sesshomaru," she said after paying for the last of it. "I haven't cooked this in a while so I hope it comes out alright."

"Anything cooked by you comes out great," he told her and she only beamed wider.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru." She opened the door. "I'm going to go put these away and get changed. You can wait here if you want." He nodded and she placed everything in the fridge before running up to her room. She pulled her hair into a braid and pulled on her sparring clothes before running back down stairs and grabbing him. "It's a nice day, we can spar in the back." She pulled him through the house by the hand and his hand wrapped around hers. He noticed that the red head was still glaring at him with such ferocity. This really was entertaining.

-WALL-

Ranmaru wanted to throw a tantrum. This male was trying to piss him off on purpose. He didn't know why it even bothered him that this male was so close to Kagome. After all he didn't like her like that, did he? He glared even deeper when she held his hand and he returned it. He was holding back his anger. She had ignored him for this man. He just didn't understand why. Sure, he was attractive, more so than him, but he didn't seem charming at all. He seemed more serious than anything. Kagome seemed so much more childish now, with this man here.

"Somebody is jealous," Kyohei teased. "I don't know why you care. I mean it isn't like she's beautiful."

"Do not put Kagome down," a voice seethed in his ear. The next moment he was pinned against the wall, the man's face in his and his feet dangling. He was pulling at the man's arm, trying to get free. "She is worth more than you any day. And she is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen." He dropped the boy and he gasped, taking in some much needed air.

"I like him," Sunako said. "He can be scary too." A look of admiration cross her eyes. It looked like he could easily kill the radiant creature Kyohei.

"Have you ever killed anyone?" She asked him.

"A couple of times," he admitted. Her eyes glistened over as she pictured this man covered in the blood of another. That alone was a wonderful thought to her.

"Come on, Sesshomaru, you promised me a spar." She tugged him out back and the males couldn't help but follow her with their eyes. Her long hair, which was usually a mess was pulled into a braid that ended below her ass. The shorts she was wearing hugged her ass and revealed long, flawless legs. And the tank top hugged her form. They all started to blush. How could they have missed something like that?

"Man, look at those legs," Ranmaru said. A drool over came him as he thought of those legs wrapped around him.

"Kagome is right," Sunako started, "You are a pervert."

-FLOWER-

Kyohei scowled and looked out the window. He had left the others and instead went to his room. He could see the two moving. Sadly it was too far away to actually see her face. But she moved gracefully and was actually connecting hits to this man. She took hits too, but they seemed to try to avoid injury. He watched her back flip away from the male and attack again, dodging a punch and ducking under a kick. She threw a kick and he blocked before throwing a punch, which she deflected. This went on for a while until this man had her pinned to the ground.

-KAGOME-

Ranmaru was upset. He hated how that fight had ended. Kagome was on her back, this man straddling her waist, hand poised for a strike. They seemed to stay that way for a while before he stood and helped her up. Her possibly having feelings for this man shouldn't upset him. They weren't dating for heaven's sake. He shouldn't feel this angry or jealous.

"I'm going to go shower then start dinner," she said as she walked in followed by Sesshomaru. "Make yourself comfortable." She walked away.

"What does she see in you?" Ranmaru asked him, anger lacing his voice.

"I've known Kagome much longer than you have," he commented, eyes narrowed on this man.

"That doesn't answer my question," he bit out.

"What does she see? I've always been the one she came too when she was upset and had no one else to turn to. I taught her how to fight and how to be strong. I helped her to learn what she was worth. You do not know the first thing about Kagome. You do not know what makes her happy or sad or mad. You know nothing about her. You'll never know what makes her who she is. You will never know what she went through." He turned away from Ranmaru. "As far as I am concerned, none of you deserve her. You don't deserve to see her smiling face, or hear her laugh. You don't deserve to be in her presence." He walked out of the room.

Ranmaru looked at where the man once stood. What he had said was true. They knew nothing about her. This man had single handedly cheered her up. He did so with his presence and a few words that no one else heard. He wanted to be alone, so he turned and walked up the stairs and to his room. He closed the door and sat there in silence. Something like this shouldn't have mattered to him. He needed to get away for a few so he called one of his sweet kittens and left the house.

Author's note: Here is the next chapter. I plan to start another story. Yes, I know, I have so many already that I have to update, but mind you I have writer's block for those stories. I'll update them when the writer's block is gone. But read, review, and as always ENJOY!


	5. Burden and Married Women

Chapter 4: Burden and Married Women

Kagome sighed when Ranmaru didn't show up for dinner. She just placed the food on the table before taking her seat between Sesshomaru and Sunako. She didn't bother to voice her question, instead she ate as she was taught. The three males dug in, happy to have food. Sesshomaru looked disgusted by them but was glad Kagome had not lost her manners. Sunako sat there eating, not as politely as Kagome but with better manners than the three males. He noticed the red head was not here and Kagome seemed a little disappointed by this. He knew she felt something for the boy, but what was unknown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~WallFlower~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You seem a bit down, Ranmaru," the woman purred out.

"I just have a lot on my mind." He sighed. "Let's just get something to eat."

"What do you want to eat?" She revved the engine and started to drive down the road.

"Whatever you want to eat." He looked out the window. He should not be feeling this way over a girl he barely knew. For heaven's sake, he wasn't even dating the girl. But that guy made him so mad. He acted like he was with her, but she seemed so oblivious to the way he was treating her. It seemed like he was just trying to upset him.

"You shouldn't look so upset, Ranmaru," she purred, "It's so unattractive."

"Please don't start. I'm not in a good mood."

"Then why call me?" She rolled into the parking spot.

"I needed to get out of the house for a few." He blew the hair out of his face. They got out of the car and walked into the Italian restaurant. He sat down and they ordered but the food didn't taste so good to him. He imagined that the others were eating Kagome's delicious food. But he was hungry so he ate his food without complaint.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Wilted~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They finished eating and Kagome picked up the dishes before heading into the kitchen, Sesshomaru following her. The others had patted their full stomachs and went to do whatever it was they did. He watched her wash the dishes and came up behind her. He hugged her around her waist. He had no romantic interest in her, but he had once met her family and had promised to look out for her. She seemed a bit upset.

"Cheer up, Kagome. Your family wouldn't want you to be upset." He nuzzled the back of her head. He knew tears were coming to her eyes. "Their death was not your fault." He gave a low rumble in his chest, inaudible but she could feel the vibrations. It was the way dog demons calmed down their young or distressed family members.

"I just miss them so much."

"I know." He felt her drop the dishes and scrubber back into the sink before turning in his arms and hugging him, her sobs being absorbed by his chest. He reached up and turned off the water as he tried to sooth her. She was like a little sister to him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~Flower~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He came home but everyone seemed to be in their rooms. He walked into the kitchen to see Kagome in Sesshomaru's arms, her arms around him and his nose in her hair. If he was talking, he couldn't hear it. Instead he turned and slammed the door behind him before walking up the stairs. He did not want to see that. If they were going to do something like that, the least they could do was go to her room. The sight hurt him, but he didn't know why.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sesshomaru~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She pulled back and looked at the door. She was confused.

"It was the red head. It seems he is thinking there is more between us than there actually is." He let her step back. "Go see what's wrong. I'll finish up these dishes." She nodded and he watched her leave before turning back to the dishes. They were almost done, but he would take his time doing them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Kagome~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He heard a knock on the door but didn't answer. His door opened and he noticed it was Kagome. He turned his back to her and stared at the wall.

"Ranmaru, are you okay?" She approached him.

"Just leave me alone and go back to your boyfriend," he mocked. He felt his bed shift but didn't look at her.

"I think you have this all wrong," she said.

"I said leave me alone." He turned and glared at her. "All you have done is been a burden for me. I don't even know why you are here. I told you to leave me alone."

"I see." She stood from his bed. "You won't have to deal with me anymore." She left and closed the door behind her. She walked down the hall to her room and packed the few things she had. She closed the door behind her and walked down the hall with the few bags she had.

She placed her bags by the door and walked back into the kitchen. "Sesshomaru, do you think I can stay with you for a few?" He looked at her and she looked more upset than when she had left. He knew something the red head said had upset her. He stopped doing the dishes and dried his hands.

"Alright. I did promise your mother I would look after you." He headed to the door with her. He picked up most of her bags and she grabbed the last one before they walked out the front door after leaving her keys on the table by the door. She locked the door from the inside before closing the door. She didn't plan on coming back here, but she would still go to the same school as them.

He looked at her and knew she didn't want to talk about it right now. But he walked with her in silence. He lead her to his house and unlocked the door and showed her to where she can stay while she was here. She placed her stuff down and thanked him before climbing into bed. He had left her alone. He knew she would tell him what was wrong when she wanted to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ranmaru~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was morning and he woke up. He was still in a bad mood but he was feeling guilty about yelling at Kagome. He got out of bed and dressed in his uniform. He walked down stairs and into the kitchen but the dishes from last night wasn't done and she was no where to be seen. He walked back up the stairs and went to her room. He knocked before entering. He looked around but she wasn't there and her stuff was gone. He felt panicked but didn't know where she could have gone off to.

The others were down stairs and ready to leave. "Where's Kagome?" Yuki asked.

"I don't know. She isn't in her room and all her stuff is gone." He looked at his shoes. He knew it was his fault she wasn't here.

"Why would she leave?" Takenaga asked.

"I yelled at her last night to leave me alone. She must have left after that."

"What did you do to my cousin?" Sunako asked, a dark aura around her. They ran to school after that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Takenaga~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She came to school and started for her class. She sat there and sighed. She was only trying to clear things up between them but he had gone off on her. She had no choice but to leave if he was going to be that way with her, and more so if she was a burden to him as he had said. She just stared out the window.

She didn't turn when the classroom door slammed. She just continued to stare out the window.

"Kagome?" She recognized his voice but wouldn't acknowledge him. "Why did you leave and take everything with you?"

"Why stay in a house I'm not wanted in? You made that perfectly clear last night when you yelled at me." She didn't look at him. "I would appreciate it if you didn't talk to me anymore. You made it clear that I was a burden to you."

"I was upset," he commented as he came closer.

"Over something you know nothing about," she commented. "I want you to leave me alone. Go back to your fan girls. I want nothing to do with you."

He looked hurt. He didn't know why her words affected him so much. He just took his seat and rested on his arms. They were in so much trouble when auntie heard what happened with her niece. He didn't want to answer that call when it came.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sunako~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They noticed his attitude at lunch when he came to join them. Sunako was glaring at him, but he didn't care. He was still upset with the fact Kagome wouldn't talk to him, or look at him. He tried talking to her, but she ignored him. The females seemed to notice his bad mood and was trying to cheer him up, but nothing was working. He became even more upset when the males were talking to her. They were giving her compliments, asking her on dates, if she had a boyfriend. He didn't like it. They were even going so far as to bring her food. She didn't tell them to leave her alone, instead, smiling slightly and agreeing to have lunch with them if they stopped arguing. Of course they had stopped arguing so she was eating with them.

"You really have fucked up," Takenaga said. "She really is beautiful, and a great cook. I wonder what auntie will say when she finds out you drove her niece from her home."

"Ranmaru drove her out?" Noi asked. She looked at Kagome. She may have been smiling but there was sadness in her eyes. "She's beautiful."

"I should kill you instead of Kyohei," Sunako said. She approached him with the intent to kill.

"Please stop, Sunako," Kyohei said. He wrapped an arm around her to restrain her. "You might upset Kagome if you kill him."

"I'd be doing her and everyone else a favor by killing him," she replied, trying to free herself from his arms. "He's upset Kagome."

"Please. I'll buy you that new horror movie you've been eyeing," he said and she stopped moving before sitting back down.

"I'm still going to kill him, just not now." She started to eat her food.

"You really should talk to Kagome," Takenaga said. "Before auntie finds out."

"I've tried. She just keeps ignoring me."

"What exactly did you say to her, anyways, Ranmaru?" Kyohei asked.

"I told her she was a burden to me, and that I didn't know why she was here in the first place. I told her to leave me alone."

"She's doing exactly what you wanted her to do, Ranmaru. She's leaving you alone, she left the house, making it so she isn't there and not being a burden to you," Takenaga said. "You really should have thought about what you said before you actually spoke."

"I was angry. I found her in his arms."

"Ranmaru, you aren't dating her," Yuki pointed out. "Besides, that man promised to look after Kagome for her mother. They're like siblings."

"Siblings?" He was confused.

"If you actually stayed and ate dinner with us you would have found out he saw her as a little sister and she see him as an older brother," Takenaga said. "As for the hug, she was probably upset you left. He was trying to cheer her up. She was probably trying to tell you that last night but you wouldn't even let her do that."

"I was upset. How was I to know she was trying to explain things?" He dropped his head. "I fucked things up with Tamao and now I fucked things up with Kagome." He sighed. "I'm supposed to be a playboy, who never wants a woman mad at me, but I just made Kagome made and I've upset Tamao so many times. I'm not meant to be in a relationship."

"Ranmaru, you weren't dating either of them. Kagome would probably be more upset if she found out you were out with that married woman last night," Takenaga pointed out. "Tamao was upset every time she found you with a married woman."

"You really are low, Ranmaru," Kagome said. She turned away from him. "I really was foolish to think you had any sort of feelings for me."

"Kagome." He stood quickly.

"Married women, Ranmaru? You and them are really low. I really want nothing to do with you now. I finally decide to forgive you and I have to find this out. I guess it is better that I find out this way instead of seeing it with my own eyes. I hope you are happy." And she walked away.

"Wait!" He grabbed her wrist.

"Unhand me right now, Ranmaru," she said coldly. "I lost all respect for you."

"Let me explain."

"You wouldn't listen to me when I was trying to explain, so I'm not at liberty to listen to you. There is no way you can explain away fooling around with married women. You have no morals you stupid playboy." She freed her wrist. "And I thought Kyohei was ugly. You're uglier than he is." He was shocked and she easily walked away.

"Wow," Yuki said. "She called him ugly."

"How he was acting is ugly," Takenaga said. "I don't blame her. Maybe now he'll think before he says or does anything." The lunch bell rang and they returned to class, but Kagome wasn't in any of the remaining classes. It seemed she was too upset to deal with anyone.

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. I have been busy but here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Don't be upset with me. Kagome was bound to find out eventually.


	6. Sesshomaru's Heir

Chapter 5: Sesshomaru's Heir

They were sitting in the living room, stomachs growling, and Sunako refusing to cook for them because they, she had claimed, drove Kagome out of the house. They would be lucky not to starve to death for this. They just hoped Auntie didn't call. They wouldn't know what to say then. It was as if on queue that the phone rang.

"I don't want to answer it," Ranmaru said, hiding behind the couch, so Takenaga approached the phone.

"Hello, auntie. You want to speak to Kagome? She's not here. Err… I don't know when she will be back. It seems Kagome took it upon herself to leave the residents, all her stuff in tow." At this he pulled the phone away from his ear as she yelled. "We don't know where she is staying. She never told us where she was going. I believe something Ranmaru said drove her to leave last night." He sighed and looked to Ranmaru. "Auntie wants to speak with you." He shook his head. "Ranmaru refuses to come to the phone. Alright." He pulled the phone away from his ear. "She says if you don't answer the phone, you'll be the only one to pay four times the rent." Ranmaru took the phone from him.

"Auntie!" He sounded cheerful until she started to yell. He pulled the phone from his ear and stared at it. Was all this yelling really necessary? "I had said some things to her when I was upset. She took it to heart and left while we were sleeping. I do not think I can convince her to come back. I… did something I shouldn't have and now she won't so much as look at me. She was happier, but it wasn't really any of us that made her happy. It was a man named Sesshomaru. You know him?" There was no answer. She had hung up on him.

_THE_

Auntie jumped out of the helicopter and landed outside the Taisho building in Tokyo. She threw off the parachute and ran to the elevator before making it to the top floor, Sesshomaru's office. She knocked, but then burst in.

"Oh. It's you," he said blandly.

"I did not know you knew my niece, Kagome," she stated, looking him up and down.

"I was not aware she had any other relatives, aside from Sunako."

"Do you know where my niece is staying?" She asked.

"Yes. She is staying with me. I was a friend of her family and had promised to take care of her should anything happen to them. I keep my promises."

"I never knew you had a soft spot," she said, a smirk coming to her face.

"You had your chance a long time ago," he stated. "Besides, Kagome is like a little sister to me and I would have looked after her, even if they had not asked me to." He closed his laptop. "I plan on making her my heir."

"My niece is your heir?" She looked a little shocked.

"I do not plan on marrying and I was told I wouldn't make a good father. I have no other relatives so it would make sense that I would leave her everything, have her take over what I have. She is smart and will do what is right."

"You seem to know her better than most."

"When you know what she has been through, there is no one else that would know her any better." She seemed to accept this answer. "I need to head home." She nodded.

"Please make sure she's alright," Auntie said.

"She will be." He walked with her out before climbing in his car and driving off. She pulled on the ladder to a helicopter and flew off.

_WALL_

Ranmaru moped around the house. He had to find a way to get Kagome to come back. He had been doing so well with her until Sesshomaru came into the picture. He had gotten so jealous of Sesshomaru. She seemed so happy to be around him. She had been affectionate with him, but he had not seen it as sibling affection. He should not have looked more into it. It wasn't like they had kissed. They had hugged and that was about it. He had blown up at her when she tried to cheer him up then Takenaga had to let it out that he was fooling around with married women.

He sighed and rolled onto his back. He stared at the ceiling and his phone rang. He looked at the name and ignored the call. His phone went silent and he placed it back on his bed side table. There was a knock at his door and Yukinoji came in.

"Ranmaru?"

"Hmm?" He never looked at Yukinoji.

"That woman is here." He looked Ranmaru over. He looked upset and wasn't moving from his place on his bed.

"I don't want to see her," he stated.

"Is something wrong?" Yukinoji moved into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Kagome is right. I shouldn't mess around with married women." He sat up. "I just keep fucking things up with Kagome and Tamao."

"What do you feel for Kagome, anyways?" Yukinoji asked.

"I don't know. Tamao isn't my type, but Kagome, is different. She doesn't throw herself at me, or is fine with anything. The married women have no morals. I was so jealous when she hugged Sesshomaru, when she seemed so much happier with him just being there."

"They've known each other for a long time," Yukinoji said. "If you don't want to upset Kagome, break it off with the married women. Then give her time. You have to show her you've changed."

"It's going to be hard." He flopped backwards.

"It sounds like you like Kagome, but you won't get Kagome if you don't stop fooling around with married women."

"I don't even know if I like her like that," Ranmaru commented. "I barely know her."

"You're hopeless." Yukinoji left the room. He went down stairs and to the door. "He isn't feeling well tonight," he told the woman.

"When will I get to see him?" She asked. She seemed to be pouting.

"Truth is, he doesn't want to see you anymore," Yukinoji said.

"Why not?" She seemed upset.

"You're married," Yukinoji said.

"He's suddenly grown a conscious," she scoffed.

"He has feelings for someone else. He realizes that seeing married women is only pushing her away." He looked at the woman. She seemed to just scowl even more.

"You know what, I can find someone to take his place," she turned and slammed the door shut behind her. The sound resounded around the house and Yukinoji winced. Why were women so moody?

_FLOWER_

Sesshomaru entered the house to see Kagome sitting at the table doing her homework, the smell of food in the air. She stood, placing the books in her bag and her bag by the door. She seemed to set the table before coming out with food. He sat and she served them before they both ate.

"How was your day, Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Horrible." She ate, a sad look on her face.

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Ranmaru is seeing married women so I told him I wanted nothing to do with him. I had found out after I had decided to forgive him for what he said. I was a fool to think he had any sort of feelings for me."

"You are not the fool, Kagome," Sesshomaru said. "He is the fool for what he has done." He looked her in the eyes. "You are a beautiful and kind woman. You are also intelligent. Whatever man gets you would be lucky." He wiped away her tears. "You are not going to school for the remainder of the week. There is a lot to do. I have already informed your school. I've written down the assignments you will be missing while you are not at school so you do not fall behind again." She nodded. "Get some sleep. We have to be up early."

"Alright. I'm going to take a shower first." She stood and placed the dishes in the sink. Usually she would do them, but she was told to sleep.

"Do not worry about the dishes, I'll do them. Go." He pushed her towards the hall softly. She vanished down the hall and he sighed. He will have to speak with Ranmaru sometime soon. He just did the dishes and headed off to sleep.

_THE_

They walked into school and Ranmaru looked to the back of the class room but Kagome wasn't there. He sighed as he took his seat, head resting in his arms. Students were dwindling in, the males looking around for Kagome but she was no where to be seen. They seemed to sigh in disappointment before taking their seats. The bell rang and she was still not there. The males seemed to whisper among themselves and the teacher walked in.

"Settle down everyone," he called. "Higurashi-san will not be in class for the remainder of the week. There are things she had to take care of. Now we shall begin today's lesson." Ranmaru just tuned the teacher out. He had to come up with a way to get Kagome to talk to him again.

_WILTED FLOWER_

She was up before the sun and was working out with Sesshomaru. This would happen everyday now that she lived with him. They had a quick spar and she ran off to shower. Sesshomaru had told her there were some people she needed to meet so she was to look and smell presentable. He had even gone as far as to replace her cheap shampoo and conditioner with something more expensive, and her body wash was said to be the best out there and smelled so good. She just finished her shower and pulled on a robe before wrapping her hair in a towel.

She walked across the hall to her room and closed the door behind her. She looked to her bed to see a black skirt and blazer, a white button up silk blouse and a gold tie. She walked to her dresser and pulled on a matching set on underwear. Both the bra and panties were black. She approached the suit to see it was Armani. She whistled and pulled on the silk blouse and buttoning it up. She pulled on the skirt and tucked the shirt in before doing the gold tie. She pulled on a set of panty hose and then the blazer. She picked up the set of black leather heels from the foot of her bed and walked out of her room and to the foyer.

Sesshomaru turned and looked at her, nodding his approval. The suit had fit fine and she had managed to pull her hair up into an intricate, but business like bun. They both pulled on their shoes and left the house. He had driven them to his building and they both entered the elevator. They exited on the top floor and his secretary seemed to approach in a short skirt, a blouse whose buttons were undone, showing cleavage, and a blazer. She seemed to notice Kagome and glared at her.

"Hold my calls," he told her as they both strolled into the office and closed the door. He was glad he had made his office sound proof. He could hear what they said but they couldn't hear what he said or did. "There is some paperwork I want you to read over. After you read it, you will need to sign. After that we have meetings to go to. After the meetings we will have another spar and you will do your homework as I cook dinner."

"You cook?" Kagome asked.

"I had to learn sometime." She nodded as he pushed a file folder towards her. She sat in the comfortable leather chair and picked up the file. She crossed her legs at her ankles and proceeded to look through the paperwork. It seemed innocent enough. It was outlining the duties and responsibilities of the employees, from the lowest employee to the highest. It went on for five pages before it came to her. She read it over and her eyes widened.

"You're kidding, right?" She asked as she looked at him. He was looking over some contracts.

"I don't kid," he commented as he looked at her. "You are the only one I can trust with my business. I have been unable to find a woman suitable to marry and give me an heir. You are the most suited to take over. I know you will do the right thing." He looked into her eyes.

"Alright." She nodded and signed the contract making her his heir. She closed the file and pushed it back to him. He picked it up and stored it in a safe.

"I have a few more things to go over, then we have the meetings. One of which is over lunch." She nodded and he handed her something to read. "You are to read this. It will help you understand business a bit more." She nodded and looked over the introduction. She got to the second chapter by the time he finished his paperwork. He placed it in a briefcase and stood. He led her out, the book in her hands. The secretary still glared at her.

"Your secretary is getting on my nerves," Kagome told him and he simply looked ahead.

"She thinks I'll sleep with her," he commented. "She is jealous of you." Like Ranmaru was jealous of me, he thought. "Come. The sooner these meetings end, the better." She nodded and they got into his car and he drove off.

Author's Note: Here is the next chapter. I'm trying to plan the next chapter as well as update my other stories, so try to be patient with me. I am also planning three more stories, all of which will be Inuyasha/The Last Air Bender crossover. There is also another story I want to post, but it is strictly an Inuyasha fan fiction. I'll put up the first chapter for that one to see what you all think of that one. As always, read, review and ENJOY!


	7. Author's Note

Author's Note:

Sorry to all my readers, but this is not an update. My laptop has decided to repeatedly blue screen, and basically crash. This happened last night and I just bought a new laptop to replace it, so please be patient while I try to recover the files from my old laptop. As soon as I do that I will finish up a few chapters I have been working on. I will also, possibly save a copy of everything externally, just in case this happens again. Thanks for being so patient and understanding. I will try to cme up with another story to make up for the delay.


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